02 August 2008

You may recall the gentleman who abused his rectum by inserting (or having inserted for him) various items not intended for anal placement. The one identifiable item ws a broken bar glass (note: it was not broken when it was inserted), but the other radio-opague item was more difficult to identify. At laparotomy, the surgeon discovered this:And yes, that is a socket from a wrench set. It was, the surgeon reflected, the largest socket she had ever seen.

No, this is not a picture of the actual item -- it has been lost to posterity, down the biohazard bag, as it should be. The surgeon estimated the item to be at least 1.5-2 inches in diameter.

I'm a doctor and in diagnostic laparotomy most often referred to as an exploratory laparotomy and abbreviated Ex-Lap the nature of the disease is unknown, and laparotomy is deemed the best way to identify the cause, especially in this cases... but I still wondering about it because it's an incredible story. 23jj

Shadowfax

About me: I am an ER physician and administrator living in the Pacific Northwest. I live with my wife and four kids. Various other interests include Shorin-ryu karate, general aviation, Irish music, Apple computers, and progressive politics. My kids do their best to ensure that I have little time to pursue these hobbies.

Disclaimer

This blog is for general discussion, education, entertainment and amusement. Nothing written here constitutes medical advice nor are any hypothetical cases discussed intended to be construed as medical advice. Please do not contact me with specific medical questions or concerns. All clinical cases on this blog are presented for educational or general interest purposes and every attempt has been made to ensure that patient confidentiality and HIPAA are respected. All cases are fictionalized, either in part or in whole, depending on how much I needed to embellish to make it a good story to protect patient privacy.

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